Sparrow Raizen
| occupation = | residence = ??? | alias = | epithet = "Instant Murder" (瞬殺, Shunsatsu) "Right Claws of the Fox" (狐の右爪, Kitsune no Migizume) "Kingslayer" (王の殺人, Ō no Satsujin) | jva = | Funi eva = | 4kids eva = | doriki = ??? | age = Unknown | bounty = ??? | status = Alive | birth = December 14 | height = 6'2" | dfbackcolor = C0C0C0 | dftextcolor = 000000 | dfname = | dfename = | dfmeaning = | dftype = }} Sparrow Raizen is a in the , working directly under Fleet Admiral Kurama as a member of his inner circle. It can be said that he is Kurama's closest confidant, as the two of them were childhood friends. Having earned a name for himself as an accomplished swordsman of incredible skill and ability, it is said that Raizen is one of the forerunners for the successor to as the world's greatest swordsman. He is renowned throughout the world as the "Kingslayer". Appearance Personality Relationships Kurama Though they appear to share a standard superior-subordinate type of relationship, the two are both friends and training partners dating back to their initial enrollment into the Marines. Sharing the same ideologies as Kurama, they promised that one of them would one day rise to the top and the other would support them from below, swearing to create a just world. Abilities and Powers Physical Abilities Swordsmanship Ittōryū Mastery Application of Rokushiki Nitōryū Mimicry: A combination of expert sword-handling and the use of applied to the hands, Raizen can swap his sword between his hands at such a speed that it appears as though his single blade has now become two swords. By doing so, he is able to perform sword techniques, producing relatively more powerful sword strikes with his dual-wielding swings.One Piece roleplay; Queen's Fury, "Ballad of Lava and Blade" Breath of all Things In this world, there are swordsman that cannot cut anything. But it is that same swordsman incapable of cutting anything that can also cut through anything, even steel. The famous swordsman once said that the strongest sword is one that can protect and destroy whatever it wants. Being able to simultaneously be incapable of cutting anything and also capable of cutting anything is something that can only be done by a swordsman that can pick up on the breath of all things. Whether they be living or inanimate, all things in this world have a "breath" (氣, ki) to them. All things subsist and behave in a manner unique to their existence. Rocks have a breath, trees breathe, even the land and soil have breath; they all have a rhythm to their existence. The wind blows, leaves float on the breeze, tree branches and grass blades bend to the current; the world and everything within it continues to move in concert; even what humans regard as chaotic is itself a form of nature. By learning to pick up on the breath of everything around oneself, the swordsman can act accordingly and swing their blade in order to capitalize on the rhythm of whatever the swordsman is trying to cut down. There can be a moment in which the rhythm of the target can be matched symbiotically with the sword, allowing the blade to slash at it with full force and yet no damage is wrought upon the target. Likewise, there is a moment in which the rhythm of the target is at its most vulnerable, allowing the blade to effortlessly slash it apart, regardless of its own strength and characteristics. Steel can be ripped apart, and in the same swing, paper is left intact and unharmed. The sword can be made to protect and destroy in the same swing; that is the truth behind Raizen's swordsmanship. When properly refined, to use the breath of all things in one's swordsmanship means to be able to allow the blade to navigate throughout an ocean of currents in order to strike true to the one it must slay. Therefore, to direct the maximum amount of power to destroy that what must be destroyed, it means to redirect the energy that would have slain everything that sits between the swordsman and his target into that slash that strikes true. In doing so, everything that the swordsman does not wish to cut down will remain unharmed while all the strength that would have been used to cut them down as obstacles are instead propelled into that final blow. The end result is that every time Raizen's blade strikes that which he wishes to cut down, the power behind the attack is explosively magnified in addition to striking when the breath of that target is at its most vulnerable rhythm. Rhythm of Style All things in this world have a breath. Not just living beings and inanimate entities, but also intangible concepts as well, such as fighting styles. Every martial art and swordsmanship style is designed and built up in a way no different than a building or a machine. Because of that, it too possesses a rhythm that dictates its behavior and characteristics. Martial art styles possess a system of techniques, a philosophy, stances and forms; all these components combine together to create the unique identity of that particular style. When managing to pick up on the breath of an opponent's fighting style, it becomes possible to deconstruct it and trace back the style to the point where every part of it can be predicted and deciphered even from a single point of origin. Every technique of a style is like a person taking a breath, and after listening to that breathing for long enough, an individual can determine future breathing patterns; this eventually leads to learning when an opponent is likely to move or to rest, or if they're tired, or what their emotional state of mind is. All things can be traced back to the base of life: breathing. In other words, every time Raizen observes or engages in an opponent's technique, he becomes that much closer toward deciphering the entirety of their fighting style. Tapping into the breath and rhythm of a sword style or martial art style enables Raizen to decipher an opponent's fighting style even after observing only a couple of their techniques. The stronger and more skilled his opponent is within their fighting style, the more their style is projected through their movements, and therefore, the more information Raizen can decipher from observing their techniques. By managing to learn the breath of an opponent's fighting style, it becomes possible to predict what move may naturally follow which technique, what possible adjustments to those traditional techniques can be made or thought of, and essentially, what might be the natural conclusion to that fighting style; their style's ultimate technique, so to speak. When Raizen combines this principle with his own mastery of swordsmanship, it ideally allows him to counter and neutralize almost any fighting style. Sword becoming Sword Haki Busoshoku Enhancement *'Busoshoku: Keikaku' .]] *'Busoshoku: Bugutai' Busoshoku Projection *'Devil Return' (悪魔返し, Akuma Gaeshi) *'Invisible Selves:' With the understanding that Busoshoku Haki produces an invisible force, Raizen has taken his mastery to allow him to actually project a full-bodied version of the armament force away from his person in order to create an "invisible self" (冥々我, '' Meika''). In doing so, the invisible Raizen produced by his Busoshoku Haki can interact with the world around him, allowing him to engage in both offensive and defensive behavior. While they are mentally controlled by Raizen, because they are forged from his willpower, they are able to act in the same way that Raizen himself would act; meaning that they are capable of independent movement and little focus on Raizen's part is needed to maintain them. They are capable of incredible strength, most likely tied to Raizen's potent willpower rather than his physical strength, meaning that it is very likely that these invisible selves are able to perform feats of strength that his own physical body is unable to accomplish. Raizen has demonstrated these invisible selves to be powerful enough to actually deal critical blows to enormous beasts, while also being able to restrain an opponent, leading them to believe that Raizen has somehow managed to paralyze them. However, that being said, they are not without their limitations. Raizen is only able to maintain any individual invisible self for a maximum time of three minutes; though, given that they are meant for instantaneous action, this is not really a hindrance in their use. In addition, these invisible selves can only be maintained for up to eighty-five meters away from Raizen's main body before they dissipate. He is only able to produce six invisible selves at any given time. Because these "shadows" of Raizen are forged entirely of Haki, only attacks containing Haki are capable of dealing any damage to them. In a similar regard, it is absolutely impossible to see nor to sense their presence without the assistance of Kenbunshoku Haki. However, even with a fundamental grasp on Haki, it is generally difficult to keep up with their actions unless one has truly come to master their Haki; presumably one that is on the same level as an Admiral or a . Theory of the Fingersnap Shinzuishoku Other Skills History Major Battles Quotes * (To Lieselotte) "Queen of Hearts. Lieselotte. Bounty of 80 Million. What business do you have here, on Marine terr- No... That's a silly question to ask, after you've made such a mess of this place. So I'll skip the formalities and skip straight to sentencing. In addition to your crimes as a pirate captain, you can add the following crimes to your record: destruction of government property, grand-scale slaughter of marine personnel, and perhaps worst of all... you pissed me off. Any last words you wish to impart? Speak them now, and maybe I'll hear them out before carving your head in two. You know, while you still have a mouth to speak with."One Piece roleplay; Queen's Fury, "Concert of Destruction" * "I'm sorry I couldn't save you guys. If you plan to cuss me out in the afterlife or haunt me, do so after I've knocked this fucker's block off."One Piece roleplay; Queen's Fury, "Concert of Destruction" * "Oi, oi... I put quite a bit of effort behind that, you could at least pretend to be in pain. You're going to hurt my feelings."One Piece roleplay; Queen's Fury, "The Will of Justice" References Behind the Scenes This character is loosely based upon one of the author's best friends. The surname, Sparrow, is derived from Jack Sparrow from the film series, Pirates of the Caribbean.